What’s a stylish alternative to a boot tray?

I hate the look of a mucky black rubber tray full of boots at the front door, but I can't think of any other practical solution at this time of the year. Any suggestions?

The answer

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I am with you – not to mention the fact that the dirty boots often end up strewn around everywhere but the black mat. They are usually placed so that you're guaranteed to trip over them as you open the front door. Solution: Move to Miami!

If you plan to stick it out in Canada, you can always put a beautiful basket at the front door for boots. Alternatively, you could install a shoe scraper outside the door so that people can give their boots a good scrape before entering, and then walk around inside with clean soles. A final option would be to create a mud room, complete with the ultimate in boot drying: a heated rack. You can then grab your Glamazon heels and strut indoors salt-free.

Architect and interior designer Dee Dee Taylor Eustace's new e-book, Dee Dee's Rules, is available on iTunes. Follow her on Twitter: @ddtaylordd. Have a design problem? E-mail style@globeandmail.com.

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